1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunications, and more particularly, to techniques for routing data through a cluster.
2. Background
A wide area network (WAN) is a communications network that covers a large geographic region. Typically, a WAN is used to connect a large number of communication devices together. The largest and most well-known example of a WAN is the Internet.
In contrast to the broad regional coverage of a WAN, a local area network (LAN) is commonly used to connect together a number of communication devices in a limited area, such as a home, office, or public building. Typically, any number of LANs may be connected together through a WAN to enable users in one location to communicate with users in other locations.
Recently, there has been a tremendous growth in the deployment of wireless LANs (WLAN). A WLAN enables users on mobile handsets to move around within a limited coverage region and still remain connected to the LAN. These WLANs have paved the way for more sophisticated mobile handsets, which traditionally had been designed for voice communications. Today, there is an increasing demand for additional services including e-mail, web-browsing, video broadcasts, etc. The integration of these services into mobile handsets poses various technological challenges for the wireless industry. These challenges include restricted memory capacity and bandwidth considerations, just to name a few. As the wireless industry prepares to meet these challenges, there exists a need for new technology that reduces processing complexity and minimizes the transmission of overhead information through WLANs.